Council Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training

Under the Digital Decade commitment, the EU’s target is for 80% of the population aged 16-74 to have at least basic digital skills by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted deficiencies in skills and provision and showed the need to improve the digital readiness of education and training systems in terms of resilience, accessibility, high-quality provision and inclusiveness. 

 The package of recommendations adopted by the Council recommends member states agree on national and, where appropriate, regional strategies or strategic approaches for the provision of education in digital skills and competences. Recommendations for key enabling factors focus on how to make education and training systems fit for the digital age. It provides guidelines for/on how to prepare people to use technology creatively, safely and responsibly, based on an understanding of how it functions. 

Among other measures, the recommendations call on Member States to: 

• integrate digital technologies into teaching and empower teachers to use them; 

• support the development of digital educational tools, including research into the impact of artificial intelligence; 

• take cybersecurity measures in education and training, including awareness-raising; 

• invest in connectivity, digital infrastructure and digital accessibility in education and training. 

The European Commission will monitor implementation of the requirements across member states and then prepare and send a report to the Council within five years.